When New York legalized abortion on demand in 1970, Abortionist Jesse Ketchum immediately set up shop in a Buffalo motel suite.
On May 28, 1971, Ketchum did a D&C abortion under general anesthesia on Ellen K. Lawler of New Baltimore, Michigan, in his Buffalo office. Only later, at an undisclosed time, did Mrs. Lawler discover that Ketchum had lacerated her uterus, anterior cul-de-sac, right broad ligament, and peritoneum.
He had told her the abortion had been uncomplicated.
Ketchum was convicted of criminally negligent homicide after killing 25-year old Margaret Louise Smith on June 16, 1971. A pathologist determined that Margaret bled to death from “laceration of the entire length of the cervix, lower segment of the uterus, and the broad ligament.”
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ust a few months later, one of his abortions killed a woman who traveled from Ohio for a vaginal hysterotomy abortion in Ketchum’s office. She was admitted to a hospital, in shock, the next day, and died of hemorrhage during a laparotomy on October 20, 1971. The coroner noted that “At autopsy, removal of sutures which completely closed the cervix revealed a laceration extending the length of the cervical canal into the uterus and the right uterine artery.”
This latter case led to his conviction on charges of criminally negligent homicide on October 26, 1973. His petition to overturn conviction on constitutional grounds was denied. Abortionist Milan Vuitch testified in Ketchum’s defense.
Of two doctors known to have been performing outpatient hysterotomy abortions in New York City in the early 1970s, Ketchum performed 18 of the 19 outpatient hysterotomies reported. Both reported deaths from outpatient hysterotomies (Margaret Smith and Carol Schaner) were Ketchum’s patients, giving his outpatient hysterotomy practice an 11% mortality rate.
On April 12, 1974, Ketchum was found guilty and fined $50 for sitting in a porno theater, masturbating with his pants around his knees. (2227 – NY Medical board documents)
References: United States District Court for Western New York, Ketchum v. Ward; Journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, March 1974; New York State Journal of Medicine, October 1975; Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, March 1974; Western District, New York District Court #Civ-75-79; New York Supreme Court, County of Erie, Index #D88030; New York Supreme Court, County of Erie, Index No. 62821; “Jesse Ketchum: Back-Alley Butcher Gone Legit Join the Discussion.” “Pro-Life Views,” About.com, June 29, 2001.
Credit; Abortionviolence.com
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